Orders for alternative-fuelled vessels fell to 137 in the first half of 2026 from 151 a year earlier, Norwegian classification society DNV said.
Vessel orders were also down in June, with 15 alternative-fuelled ships ordered from 36 in May.
Uncertainty surrounding the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) proposals on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulation may have contributed to the overall reduction in the alternative-fuelled vessel orderbook. Last October, the IMO failed to adopt the GHG pricing mechanism, postponing the vote for a year. In April, Hong Kong-based dry shipping firm Pacific Basin Shipping cancelled a contract for four methanol dual-fuel Ultramax vessels, converting the order to conventional vessels, citing uncertainty over regulations.
Orders were lower for LNG-fuelled vessels in the first half of 2026, in line with the overall decline, accounting for 73 ships in the orderbook, down from 87 in the first half of 2025. In June, 10 LNG-fuelled ships were ordered.
LNG remains ahead in the alternative vessel order books due to wider availability and the fuel's ability to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions rules. But concerns remain about its flexibility and longer term availability as bunker consumption competes with power generation and transportation needs.
So far this year, 55 LPG carriers have been added to the order book, rising from only 17 orders in the same period in 2025. Five LPG/ethane carriers accounted for the remaining June orders.
In the year to date, two methanol-fuelled ships have been ordered, down from 40 in the first half of 2025. Orders for ammonia-fuelled ships rose to four from three. Only one hydrogen-fuelled ship has been ordered, compared with four in the same period last year. Two ethanol-fuelled ships have been ordered, but DNV has no data for 2025 as ethanol was only recently registered. No orders were placed for vessels fuelled by methanol, ethanol, ammonia or hydrogen in June.
In the first half of the year, 61 LNG-fuelled vessels were delivered, followed by 38 methanol-fuelled ships.
| Alternative-fuelled vessels orders 2026 | ||
| Type of fuel | Orders in June | Orders so far in 2026 |
| LNG | 10 | 73 |
| LPG | 5 | 55 |
| Methanol/Ethanol | 0 | 4 |
| Ammonia | 0 | 4 |
| Hydrogen | 0 | 1 |
| DNV | ||
